Circuit Training A Selection of Simple, Fun Electronic Projects using the Electricity Box provided with the Heather's Hut project
Contents Introduction... 3 Notes...3 1. Steady Hand Game... 5 2. Light Up Ghost... 7 3. Disco Lights... 9 4. Carousel... 10 5. How to Reverse a Motor...12 6. Light Up Holly...13 7. Door Sign / Traffic Lights... 15 8. Find the Mine Game...17 9. Jumping Monster...19 10. Electro Magnet...21 11. Lighthouse...22 12. Burglar Alarm... 23 13. Map Quiz...25 2
Introduction Here is a collection of ideas for using the Electricity Box supplied with the Heather's Hut project. We hope you will have fun trying out some of these ideas and be inspired to make your own fun projects too. Obtaining Parts This booklet is based around parts supplied with the Electricity Box distributed with the Heather's Hut project. The box itself is available from www.scichem.com, part no. ELA300010, for around 60. Spare electronic parts are readily available. We recommend Rapid Electronics and Mindsets Online as suppliers and have quoted part numbers below. www.rapidonline.com www.mindsetsonline.co.uk Box Contents Item Rapid Part No. Mindsets Online Part No. Buzzer 3V 35-3592 / 35-3587 EW2 002D PP3 Battery Clip 18-0092 / 18-0094 EC1 004 / EC1 004A 2 x C Battery Holder 18-0130 - 1 x AA Battery Holder 18-3689 / 18-0121 EC1 019A Motor 37-0142 / 37-0144 EW2 007 Terminal Block 5A 21-0100 EC1 016A Cable Ties 04-0632 / 04-0633 CW4 005 Flexible Wire Red 01-0435 EW1 007 Flexible Wire Black 01-0400 EW1 006 Micro Switch (lever) 78-2467 / 78-2402 ES1 004 Micro Switch (roller) 78-2474 - Reed Switch 60-0522 / 60-0515 ES1 009 Tilt Switch 78-0752 / 78-0754 ES1 011 Red 8mm LED 55-0400 / 55-2202 - Yellow 8mm LED 55-0410 - Green 8mm LED 55-0405 / 55-2208 - MES Bulb Holder 41-0070 EC1 017 MES Bulb 41-0784 / 41-0125 EO1 007 MES Flashing Bulb - - Push Fit Pulley 37-0371 TG2 010 Knife Switch DPDT - - AA Battery 18-1052 / 18-1442 EB2 002 C Battery 18-1054 / 18-1444 EB2 004 3
Batteries In many circuits we have specified 2 C size batteries. This is because this is the size supplied with the Electricity Box.You may, however, prefer to use AA size batteries instead. An appropriate battery pack is Rapid 18-0125 / 18-0122 or Mindsets Online EC1 002 / EC1 002A. Even better, use a battery pack with a switch built in such as Rapid 18-2906 or Mindsets Online EC1 035. Switches In many of these ideas we have left it up to you to decide whether to fit a switch. You can easily make your own from paper clips and drawing pins or paper fasteners as shown below. Readymade switches with screw terminals are readily available Rapid 75-0260 is a good choice. As a general rule, disconnect one side of your circuit from the battery box and connect the two loose wires you have just created to the two terminals of the switch. Even simpler, use a battery box with a switch built in, such as Rapid 18-2906 or Mindsets Online EC1 035. Connecting Wires There is no need to solder any connections for any of these projects we show a variety of other methods to achieve relatively reliable connections. However if you do have access to soldering equipment it will give a more reliable connection than twisting wires around a component leg, and it may be less fiddly than using terminal blocks where space is tight. 4
1. Steady Hand Game A classic game guiding a loop over a length of wire without touching it. Simple to build and lots of fun. You will need 70cm Solid wire, not plastic coated (e.g. galvanised garden wire, coat hanger wire or Rapid 05-0305) 50cm Flexible wire (from kit) Off-cut of wood (or use cardboard) 2 drawing pins (use paper fasteners with cardboard) 1 Lamp Holder (from kit) 1 Bulb (from kit) 1 2xC Battery Box (from kit) 2 C Batteries (from kit) 1 Battery Clip (from kit) 2 Terminal Blocks (from kit) Instructions 1. Cut a piece of the solid wire around 20cm long and twist into a loop at one end. The bigger the loop, the easier the game! 2. Strip the flexible wire at both ends and attach to the end of the loop using a terminal block 3. Attach the remaining solid wire to the wood with drawing pins, leaving at least 8cm sticking out at one end. Bend to any shape you like. Put the loop over this wire before fixing the second drawing pin! 4. Screw the end of the solid wire into one side of the lamp holder. 5. Connect one end of the battery clip to the other side of the lamp holder. 6. Connect the other end of the battery clip to the flexible wire using the remaining terminal block 5
Improvements Use some sticky tape or insulating tape to cover the ends of the long wire, so the loop won't touch it when you reach the end. Try a buzzer instead of a lamp remember the red wire on the buzzer must be connected to the red wire of the battery clip How it works Electricity only flows when there is a complete loop this is called a circuit. Touching the wire with the loop in your hand completes a circuit from the battery, through the lamp, through the wire, through the loop and back to the battery. When the circuit is broken when the loop is not touching the wire no electricity flows. 6
2. Light Up Ghost A great idea for Halloween! You will need 1 Lamp holder (from kit ) 1 Bulb (from kit) 1 Ping Pong Ball 1 White Napkin 1 2xC Battery Box (from kit) 1 Battery Clip (from kit) 2 C Batteries (from kit) 2 lengths of wire (from kit) Instructions 1. Push a small screwdriver into the ping pong ball and move sideways to make a slit. Repeat across the first slit to make a cross. 2. Attach the wires to the lamp holder and insert the bulb. 3. Push the ping pong ball over the bulb. 4. Drape the napkin over the ball and tie with string, thread or wire. Draw on eyes! 5. Connect the wires to the battery clip using terminal blocks. 6. Insert the batteries into the battery box and attach the battery clip. 7
Improvements Can you make a pressure pad and hide it under a mat so the ghost lights up when someone walks past? Handy Hint: Use a stapler to fix wires onto the tin-foil pads. 8
3. Disco Lights You will need Four Lamp Holders (from kit) Four flasher bulbs (from kit) Wire (from kit) 1 2xC Battery Box (from kit) 1 Battery Clip (from kit) 2 C Batteries (from kit) Coloured Cellophane Instructions 1. Cut six 10cm lengths of wire and two 20cm lengths. Strip about 1cm at each end of each wire. 2. Wire up the lamp holders as shown in the photo. 3. Insert the bulbs and connect up the batter Improvements Can you make a box to mount everything in? 9
4. Carousel This idea demonstrates how to make a simple belt drive system to slow a motor down to a more usable speed. What you attach to it is up to you! We decided to make a fairground carousel. You will need Instructions Motor (from kit) Small Pulley Wheel (from kit) Long, thin elastic band 1 x AA Battery Box (from kit) 1 X AA Battery (from kit) Cable tie (from kit) Wood to make base Dowels or a Pencil 2 x CDs Corrugated Cardboard or Corriflute 1. Draw a 10cm diameter circle on the corrugated card (set your compasses to 5cm) 2. Cut out the circle 3. Roughly cut a hole in the centre of the cardboard disc that is bigger than the hole in a CD. 4. Glue the cardboard circle onto the centre of a CD (use lots of glue!). The top CD in this photo is clear so you can see what to do. 10
5. Glue another CD on top (again use lots of glue!) 6. Leave between two heavy books until completely dry. 7. Drill two holes in an off-cut of wood, 10cm apart, large enough to fit the dowel or pencil. 8. Cut two lengths of dowel or pencil and fit into the holes in the wood. 9. Attach the pulley to the motor. 10. Attach the motor, pulley end down, to one of the spindles using a cable tie. 11. Place the CD unit over the other spindle. 12. Loop an elastic band around the cardboard between the CDs (don't let go or you will never get it out!) and around the pulley on the motor. 13. Connect the battery to the motor and watch the CD spin. 14. Decorate as you like! Handy Hint: If you do let go of the elastic band around the CD, you will probably break the glue trying to get it out! Just leave it and use another band on top. 11
5. How to Reverse a Motor Reverse your carousel or any other project. First wire up the switch like this: Connect the red wire from the battery to one corner of the switch and use another length of wire to connect that corner to the diagonally opposite corner. Connect the black wire to the other two corners in the same way. Connect the motor to the middle two terminals on the switch. Flip the switch down. Follow the red wire from the battery. You will see it is connected through the switch to the yellow wire. Flip the switch up. Follow the red wire from the battery. You will see it is now connected through the other piece of red wire and then through the switch to the green wire. You can use any DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw) switch in the same way. The six pins are connected in exactly the same way as on this demonstration switch. 12
6. Light Up Holly You will need 3 Red LEDs (from kit) 1 2xC Battery Box (from kit) 1 Battery Clip (from kit) 2 C Batteries (from kit) 2 Terminal Blocks (from kit) Green card to make holly leaves Instructions 1. Wrap a flap of sticky tape or insulating tape around the longer leg of each LED. 2. Cut off two terminal blocks and screw the three LEDS into them like this. Make sure all the LEDS are the same way round the longer legs must be together! 13
3. Screw the battery clip into the other side of the terminal blocks. Make sure the red wire goes to the side with the longer legs of the LEDS. If you're not sure, try connecting the batteries if it doesn't light, swap the battery clip wires over. 4. Attach cardboard holly leaves around the LEDs. Other Ideas Use yellow LEDS to make mistletoe Use two LEDS as monster eyes 14
7. Door Sign / Traffic Lights Make your own switch, selecting from multiple lights. You will need Instructions 3 LEDs (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green) (from kit) Wire (from kit) 4 Paper Fasteners (from kit) Paper Clip (from kit) Cardboard Battery Clip (from kit) 2 x C Battery Box (from kit) 2 x C Batteries (from kit) Terminal Blocks 1. Notice that one leg on each LED is longer than the other. Connect all the shorter legs together, using terminal blocks and wire, or simply by twisting them together. 2. Connect these shorter legs to the black wire of the battery clip. 3. Cut three lengths of wire, and strip 2cm from each end. 4. Wind one end of each tightly around one of the longer legs of the LEDs and secure tightly with sticky tape or insulating tape. 15
5. Attach a paper clip to the cardboard using a paper fastener. Make sure the paper clip can rotate freely. 6. Fit three other paper fasteners where the paper clip can reach them. 7. Cut a length of wire and strip 2cm off one end, 1cm off the other. 8. Wrap the 2cm end tightly around the back of the paper fastener with the paper clip attached, then fold the legs out to secure. 9. Connect the other end to the red wire of the battery clip using a terminal block. 10. Find the three wires coming from the LEDs. Wind the end of each wire tightly around the back of one of the paper fasteners and fold the legs over to secure. 11. Insert the batteries into the battery box and attach the battery clip. As you move the paper clip to touch each of the paper fasteners in turn, one of the LEDs should light. 16
8. Find the Mine Game Design your own game based on magnets and hidden reed switches. In ours you are searching for the hidden mine which square is it beneath? You will need Reed switch (from kit) Buzzer (from kit) 2 x C Battery Box (from kit) 2 x C Batteries (from kit) Battery Clip (from kit) 3 x Terminal Blocks (from kit) Magnet (from kit) Cereal Box Instructions 1. Cut three individual terminal blocks. 2. Use one terminal block to connect the red wire of the battery clip to one end of the reed switch. 3. Use another terminal block to connect the other end of the reed switch to the red wire of the buzzer. 4. Use the final terminal block to link the black wire of the battery clip with the black wire of the buzzer. 5. Mark out a grid on top of a cereal box. 6. Mount the reed switch inside the box with sticky tape, under the square with the mine 7. Connect up the batteries and close the box 17
8. Explore the grid with a magnet Other Ideas Draw a Treasure Island on the box and hunt for the treasure with a magnet 18
9. Jumping Monster Making vibration is really simple attach a small, off-centre weight to a motor. You will need 1 x AA Battery Box (from kit) 1 x AA Battery (from kit) Motor (from kit) 2 x Terminal Blocks (from kit) Eccentric Weight Wheel available for under 20p from Rapid (06-0698) or Mindsets Online (CW3 038) - or use Blue Tack instead. Instructions 1. Attach the eccentric weight to the motor, or if using blue tack attach a blob off-centre around the spindle of the motor and cover up with sticky tape so it doesn't fly off or get stuck to anything. 2. Trim the excess plastic off one end of each of two terminal blocks using a knife or scissors as seen in the photo below this allows the short motor terminal to reach the screw of the terminal block. 3. Use one of these terminal blocks to connect one side of the motor to the black wire of the battery box. 4. Use the other to connect the other side of the motor to a short length of wire. 5. Insert the battery into the battery box 6. Stick everything together with sticky tape as shown in the photo making sure the weight has room to spin 7. When you touch together the red wire from the battery box and the other loose wire, the whole thing should start to vibrate. You can connect these to a switch or just twist them together when you want to 19
turn the circuit on. 8. Build a monster around the vibrating unit. Remember to leave room around the weight for it to spin! We used a small plastic tub to house the vibrating unit and built the monster around that. 9. When you turn on the monster it should start jumping around on the table. Improvements A screw terminal switch such as Rapid 75-0260 will make turning the monster on and off much easier Use the tilt switch from the kit so the monster turns off when you turn it upside down 20
10. Electro Magnet Using a nail and a coil of wire you can make your own electro-magnet. Use it to pick up paper clips! You will need Instructions A Large Nail or Screw (from kit, or bigger if available) 1-5m of wire (from kit) Paperclips (from kit) 1 x AA or C Battery (from kit) 1. Strip one end of the wire and tie a knot around the top of the nail, leaving about 20cm loose. Secure with sticky tape instead if easier. 2. Wind lots of wire around the nail. 3. Tie a knot at the other end or secure with sticky tape. 4. Cut off the wire, leaving about 20cm loose. Strip the end 5. Hold the wires against each end of the battery and see how many paperclips you can pick up. Warning Don't use less than about 1m of wire or the nail may start to get hot. Be ready to disconnect the battery if the nail does get hot. Things to Try Use a battery box and terminal blocks if you have trouble holding the wires onto the battery. Try using twice as much wire can you pick up twice as many paperclips? Try using two batteries in a battery box can you pick up twice as many paperclips? Try using a small (AA) and large (C) Battery can you pick up more paperclips with the large battery? 21
11. Lighthouse A great use for a self-flashing bulb! You will need Instructions Bulb Holder (from kit) Flashing Bulb (from kit) wire (from kit) A small bottle 2 x C Batteries 2 x C Battery Holder Battery Clip 2 x Terminal Blocks 1. Cut two lengths of wire and strip both ends of each. 2. Screw one end of each wire into the screws on the bulb holder. 3. Insert the bulb into the holder 4. Attach the bulb holder to the top of the bottle pass the wires down the inside and out a hole at the bottom, or just stick them to the side of the bottle with sticky tape 5. Build a lighthouse around the bottle, using cellophane for the glass, and tin-foil to make a reflector 6. Connect the two wires to the battery clip using terminal blocks. Attach to the battery box and insert batteries. 22
12. Burglar Alarm A simple alarm that you can attach to a door, a treasure chest etc You will need Instructions Buzzer (from kit) Microswitch (from kit) 3 x Terminal Blocks 2 x C Batteries 2 x C Battery Holder Battery Clip 1. Trim the excess plastic off two of the terminal blocks as shown in the photo below. This allows the short terminals on the microswitch to reach the screws in the terminal blocks. 2. Connect the red wire of the battery box to one side of the microswtich. 3. Connect the red wire of the buzzer to the other side of the mircoswitch. 23
4. Connect the two black wires together with the remaining terminal block. 5. Attach the battery clip to the battery box and insert the batteries. The buzzer will start sounding until you hold down the microswitch! 6. Mount the microswitch behind a door, inside a treasure chest, etc so that the switch is kept pressed by the door / lid and will be released when the door / lid is opened. Other things to try You might want an alarm that comes on when the switch is pressed, rather than when it is released. To do this, you will need to use the middle terminal of the microswitch and one of the end terminals. Find out which one by experimenting! 24
13. Map Quiz An electronic quiz that could be based on any topic you like. First, create a quiz sheet with paper fasteners next to every question (in our case a list of towns) and every answer (the towns located on a map). Then create a tester device with two leads that buzzes if you touch a question and the correct answer. You will need Sheet of Card 20 Paper Fasteners (from kit) Wire (from kit) 2 Nails (from kit) Buzzer (from kit) 2 x C Batteries (from kit) 2 x C Battery Holder (from kit) Battery Clip 3 x Terminal Blocks Instructions (Quiz) 1. Draw your map or quiz on the sheet of card. 2. Push paper fasteners through the card next to each question and each answer. 25
3. Link each question to the correct answer using wire. Strip about 2cm off each end of the wire and wrap this tightly around the paper fasteners before folding down the legs. Instructions (Tester) 1. Cut two lengths of wire and strip about 2cm off one end of each. Strip 1cm off the other end. 2. Wrap the 2cm end tightly around the head of a nail and secure with insulating tape, also wrapped tightly. 3. Using a terminal block, connect the black wire of the buzzer to the black wire of the battery clip. 4. Use a terminal block to connect the red wire of the buzzer to one of the leads connected to a nail. 5. Connect the other nail lead to the red wire of the battery clip using the remaining terminal block. 6. Insert the batteries into the holder and attach the battery clip. 7. The buzzer should buzz when the nails touch each other, or when they are touching any question and the correct answer. 26
How it Works The tester is known as a continuity tester as it will buzz whenever the two probes touch any two points that are connected electrically. Remember that electricity only flows when there is a complete loop called a circuit. Touching the two nails together or touching them to two points that are connected electrically completes the circuit and allows electricity to flow through the buzzer 27
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